DS716+II or DS916+? 2-Bay or 4-Bay? Which to Buy?

Throughout this comparison we will of course strive to give you the key differences and similarities of these devices to help you choose between them, but I guess the most pressing and obvious difference between them is the fact that the Synology DS716+II is two bay and the DS916+ is a four bay. I know their names does indicate that as clearly as you might like, but the misleading 7 and 9 in their names is to do with expansions and will be covered later. Choosing between a 2-Bay and a 4-bay NAS is more than just about number of hard drives and would therefore recommend reading through our buyers guide to 2 and 4 Bay NAS and DAS located here to give you a better answer to deciding between here. However in essence I can say the 4-bay NAS and DAS feature advantages such as:

Both use the Btrfs File System to provide better snapshot technology in the background and therefore give you better background data health checks

Both units arrive with 3 years of manufacturers warranty for peace of mind

Both units use the very latest version of the very latest Synology DSM operating system

What is the difference between the 916+ and the 716+II?

And now we move onto the nitty gritty. After reading al that above about how similar they are, you would probably like to know what makes one stand out from the other. Well first, lets focus on the DS916+ NAS and it’s core advantages. Straight away, that CPU! Both units use an x86 CPU in Quad Cores, but the 916+ uses a Pentium with an impressive burst clock speed of 2.56GHz. In matter such as a NAS Plex Media Server (PMS), Surveillance cameras and more graphically resourced applications, you will really the advantage of this CPU. Likewise, both units arrive with 2GB of DDR3 Memory, however the Synology DS 916 + can be expanded officially upto 8GB. This makes it the better choice when it comes to tasks like VMware and Virtual Machines in general.

Also, thanks to that higher CPU frequency mentioned earlier as well as the Pentium chip itself, the 916 is able to achieve higher results in Read/Write Upload/Download across those two Gigabit LAN ports – particularly in Write. For many who access their NAS on a regular basis (whether for business or pleasure) may see this as a deciding factor in their purchase.

What about the DS716+II – Why should I buy this NAS?

Excellent question. After the paragraph above, you might think that the 716+ is down and out for the count. However you may want to think again. Straight away that old sticking point for some, price, shows itself. The DS716+II is the cheaper NAS of the two. For some they may already be on the edge of their budget and one you factor in things like NAS HDDs, IP Cameras, external Backup drives and even expansions, then you really have to sit and think about the numbers and whether you need the extra trinkets that the DS916+ has to offer. Also there are a couple of key advantages that will appeal to the more discerning NAS buyer. The DS716+ is the quieter of the two at 18dB(A) compared to the 19.4 dB(A) of the DS916+ and for those in close proximity to their NAS on a daily basis, then that 1.4dB(A) could make all the difference.

Lastly we can talk about another appealing feature to the more careful and long term NAS user – Power Consumption. the DS716+ uses noticeably less power both in Hibernation and in Use. Obviously part of this is only having to power 2 Drives as apposed to 4, but the figures do indicate that the single rear fan, lower CPU frequency and lower required external PSU mean that having the DS716+II on for days or weeks at a time will cost you less in terms of electricity when the bills hit the matt. Definitely consideration for those on a tighter budget or in constant access environments.

How and where do I sign up for Plex? How much does Plex Cost?

The Plex Application for your NAS, Mac, PC, Android device is free and available in the NAS App store, iTunes and Google Playstore at no additional cost, though the free apps, though serving as an excellent introduction, will soon feel limited and we advise that if you upgrade to the Plex Pass subscription service for vastly improved options and add-ons. To begin setting up your Plex Media Server, you will need to head over to Plex and set up your account (use the below link) so you can have all your movie, TV show, music, and photo collections at your fingertips. Anywhere you go, on the devices you love.

If however you wish to skip straight to the good stuff and set up your Plex Pass Membership immediately so you can get your Plex Media Server at 100%, use the link below to take walk you through setting up your Plex Pass today!

Need a little more help buying your NAS? For Worldwide delivery as well as Pre-build NAS and post-sales support, why not chat LIVE to a support agent at SPAN.COM. Just click to start.

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